TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti (AP) — Cracked helmets, sutured skin and checks for concussions have been all been part of the Paris Olympics surfing competition, as surfers go head-to-head on the treacherous waves of Teahupo’o, Tahiti on their quest for gold.
While the competition has had big waves and wipe outs, surfers said it’s thanks to the water safety patrol— a team of highly-skilled, local workers patrolling with jet skis, helping to operate boats and constantly assessing oceans conditions from a watch tower— that they’ve been able to enter the heavy, barrel-shaped waves with more confidence that they’ll emerge unscathed.
The waves of Teahupo’o can be deadly, having claimed the life of at least one surfer. A jagged coral reef lies just below the ocean surface, often extremely close to where the waves break and within eyesight of surfers.
“It’s super dangerous. People don’t realize it’s the most dangerous place in the world … so I’m just really happy to be in one piece,” surfer Jack Robinson from Australia said after his round three win. “It’s crazy. There are some huge waves out there.”
While there have been no severe injuries so far during the Paris Olympics surfing events, several athletes have gotten stitches, bloody scrapes or large bruises from their heats.
And there’s been many times in the competition when surfers are pulled out of the water or off the reef by water safety patrollers on jet skis.
“They’re like guardian angels,” said local French Polynesian surfer Michel Bourez, who has surfed Teahupo’o for years and previously competed in the Tokyo Olympics. “They actually put their life on the line as well to come and rescue you.”
The jet ski patrols are just a small part of the water safety crews duties, according to safety officials.
Every day starts with a staff briefing on the day’s ocean conditions. As the competition gets underway, the water crew is in constant contact with a water patroller on the tower, which is positioned out in the ocean by the wave.
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Workers are constantly watching the ocean’s conditions, whether it’s the wind changing direction, shifts in underwater channels or how the tide is impacting the waves, said Puatea Ellis, 42, a water safety worker at the Paris Olympics in Tahiti.
“I constantly need to keep my focus on people, because if people get scared, they panic. And then it’s more likely an accident is going to happen.” Ellis told The Associated Press.
The help of water safety patrol can also be strategic for winning heats, as it’s not uncommon for powerful waves to wash surfers far away from where waves can be caught during their limited heat times, said International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguirre.
“If you need to paddle back out, it will take you 15 minutes,” said International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguirre. “Then you’ll find yourself out of time and out of the competition.”
The water safety patrol has also helped others in the water— like camera operators providing a broadcast of the competition— stay safe as well, even helping them search for equipment lost in the rough waves.
“Water safety isn’t just for the surfers,” said Ellis. “It’s my job to keep everyone safe.”
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